How Do Immigration Changes Affect International Students?

As of January 1st, candidates looking to apply for permanent residency in Canada are all placed into one application “pool.” What does this change mean for international students?

In the past, international students who have recently graduated from a Canadian university have had an automatic advantage when applying for permanent residency in Canada. With the introduction of the Express Entry program in January 2015, has this advantage disappeared?

When seeking permanent residence, international students with a Canadian degree or diploma are now placed in a pool with other skilled workers and applicants. This means that students must now compete with these other applicants for residency.

There is, however, good news for international students competing in this pool. Applicants are awarded “points” based on a ranking system. Although they no longer have the automatic advantage over other applicants, they are likely to score well on the assessment test: students will most likely gain points for Canadian work experience, strong language skills and, often, youth. Students seeking permanent residency are significantly benefited by the ranking system in this way.

The good news for international students doesn’t stop there! In June of 2014, new regulations were introduced that aimed to reduce the potential for fraud and misuse of the international education program. By restricting “non-genuine” students from misusing the program, students who truly seek a high-quality Canadian education now enjoy improved services. The regulation changes of 2014 favors students who are wishing to pursue meaningful studies in Canada. Now, with the changes of January 2015, those students are benefited by the ranking system for permanent residence applications.

Based on the new Express Entry ranking system, international students are well positioned to compete against other applicants for residence.

International students have always been an integral part of Canada’s immigration strategy. If you are an international student, contact FWCanada for your best chances at securing permanent residency in Canada.

FWCanada is a Montreal-based immigration law firm that provides professional legal services on Canadian immigration. For more tips and updates on Canadian immigration, follow FWCanada on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.